Week 9 Recap: Bend Chamber of Commerce, Power and Energy Use, and Charter School Advocacy

Oregon State Legislature sent this bulletin at 03/25/2019 04:00 PM PDT

Updates from Senator Tim Knopp.

Week 9 Recap: March 18 - 25, 2019

Another week has come and gone in the legislative session! Here is my recap of week 9:

Bend Chamber of Commerce Members

Last week, it was great to meet with members of the Bend Chamber of Commerce. We had the chance to discuss funding for an OSU-Cascades Student Success Center and HB 2934, which authorizes the Department of Transportation to reimburse costs of towing and disposal of abandoned recreational vehicles.

Thank you all for making it over to Salem to meet with me and all of the great work you do to support Bend's small business community.

Meeting With the High Desert Museum

It was my pleasure to receive a visit from Dana Whitelaw and Ryan Hagemann from the High Desert Museum. As a lover of history, it was great to get to chat about Central Oregon history and their work to share that with visitors.

If you haven't made it there before, I encourage you to check it out. Thanks for meeting with me!

Small Business Advocates

I enjoyed discussing the issues facing small businesses with the Oregon Small Business Development Network on Wednesday.

Their work with Central Oregon Community College helps our local community foster a healthy environment for small businesses.

Supporting Student Loan Reform

Senator Kathleen Taylor and I testified in support of SB 279, which would require student loan officers to obtain and renew licenses for their work and creates punishments for student loan officers who fail to do so.

The student loan process is difficult enough and shouldn't be manipulated by bad actors to harm students financially. This bill would be a great way to provide protection against those scenarios.

School Board Member Peggy Kincaid

On Tuesday, Bend-La Pine School Board member Peggy Kincaid swung by my office to discuss education. It's important that we have coordination and open lines of communication between all levels of government to ensure our students receive the education they deserve. Thank you, Peggy, for your service to the children of Central Oregon!

ALF-CIO Lobby Day

The ALF-CIO held their annual lobby day at the Capitol last week. Five members from my district made it over the mountains to discuss labor issues with me.

It always means a lot to me when constituents from Central Oregon make the trip over to Salem, so thank you to these labor advocates for sharing their insights.

Visit from Wendy McGrane

Wendy McGrane is a constituent and local Commercial Banker, who was appointed to the Oregon Growth Board in January. I had a great chat with her last week about her work supporting businesses in Central Oregon and her objectives for her time on the Board.

Congrats Wendy on your appointment! Central Oregon should be proud of your work!

Osteopathic Medicine Advocates

Students from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Northwest swung by last week to discuss their newly approved program and their future careers as Osteopathic Physicians.

Thank you all for your visit and commitment to public health. Best of luck finishing school and keep up the hard work!

Meeting with Power Advocates

Last week, representatives from the Central Electric Co-op and Pacific Power came by to discuss Oregon's energy policy.

We all know the importance of electricity in today's day and age. I will continue to work to help provide affordable electricity to all in my district.

Charter School Advocacy Day

The Oregon Coalition of Charter Schools hosted their annual Charter School Advocacy Day last week.

I was happy to get the chance to take students from the Redmond Proficiency Academy down to the Senate Floor and answer their questions. It was an impressive group of students who have bright futures ahead of them!

Central Oregon Water Management

Constituents from the Central Oregon Irrigation Districts came by on Thursday to discuss funding for the Deschutes Basin Board of Control.

Water is a critical resource for all life and communities, so it is incredibly important that I hear from experts in the field so that we can continue our work to manage our water in an effective and sustainable manner.